Gas generator



C. J. AND G. J. CLEFTON,

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1917.

Patented May 30, 1922.

UNITED STATES rA'rENT OFFICE.

CLAUD J. CLEFTON AND GUY J". CLEF'EON, OF OWATONNA, MINNESOTA.

GAS GENERATOR.

Application filed June 11,

Be it known that we, (l/mun J. Cenrron and Uni: J. Liner-"row, citizens of the United tiitates, residents of tlwatonna, county at Steele, State oi. l linnesota, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Gas Generators, oi which the i ollowii'ig is o. s peei lication.

in the operation of an acetylene light plant, lillii-ulty is sometimes experienced in using the lights utter the generator has l'ieen opened for any purpose, such as su nglyiiug lresh carbide thereto, owing to the ta t that as ordinarily constructed a consiuerable quantity o l? air will be admitted to. the tank and willv mix with the gas to such an extent that the.illuminating {lame at the ljuirner will he dim and unsutis'lactory.

To this end our invention consists generally in providing); a. gas generating tank equipped with the means tor exclutliiur entirely when desired the entrance of air therein.

In the arcoinpanying drawing). forming;- part o'l this specification,

The figure a vertical sectional view through a gas generator embodying our inveution.

lo the drawing, 2 ing; tank, which, as this kind, is luiried cover for the tank,

represents the generatusual in apparatus at in the groundis a renmvable tor access thereto. as when the a] )parat'us to be supplied with carbide. In the bottom of the tank is a water chamber l. lVithin the tank serurcd at 7 to the walls oi? the tank. In the top of ti 1; sleeve is a carbide hopper 8 hav ing valves 9 for regulating); the discharge of carbide from the hopper. The hopper has a closed top 10 and a lever device 1]. mounted on said top and connected by a rod 12 with the valve 9 for regulating the movement of the same as the gas bell rises and falls. This a1; paratus is substantially as shown, described and claimed in U. S. Patent No. 1.133.618. issued irlurc-h 3t), EH5, and we therefore make no claim to the same in detail herein.

The annular space between the sleeve 5 and the wall of the tank forms a gas bell chamber in which a supply of water or oil is placed, and the lower end of a gas bell ll is submerged in this liquid while the upper portion of the bell. encloses and covers the carbide hopper and the upper part oi the Specification of Lctterslatent.

1917. Serial No. 174,050;

sleeve. This chamber, as shown clearly in the drawing, is entirely independent, as far as the liquid therein is concerned, of the generating; chamber, and the liquid remains in this gasbell chamber permanently and not affected in any way when the water is removed from the chamber l A perfect seal is therefore provided against the entrance of air around the gas bell. The bell is mounted to rise and tall in the tank, as usual: in devices of this kind, and the tank wall has guide rails 15 to receive arms 16 mounted on the gas bell. A series of ports l7 are provided in the wall of the sleeve 5 leading from the water chamber or the gas generating space to the space in the upper part of the gas bell. As the pressure of the increases, the bell will rise and the weighted lever ll will automatically shut oil the feed of carbide, and as the pressure ot the gas decrnises, the bell will drop and operate the lever 11 to open the teed valve and resume the feed of carbide. This is all described in detail in the previous patent, above referred to.

For the purpose of filling the carbide hopper. the gas bell is provided. with an opening); in the top thereof and a sleeve 18 is litted into said opening and extends above and below the same, and 11V shorter sleeve l9 is mounted on the underside of the top of the bell and encircle the lower portion of the sleeve and is spaced therefrom and telescopes with a similar sleeve 20 that is mounted on the top of the carbide hopper. Within the sleeve 18 is a can 21 having a valve seat 22 at its lower end and a valve 2 -3 pro vided with an operating rod 2%. 25 is provided for the sleeve. 18, held in place by a clamp 26, and when this cover is removed the spout ofthe filling can may be inserted into the can 21 for the purpose of filling; the carbide hopper. The can 2i. serves as an auxiliary supply by means of which the user of the apparatus, by opening the valve 23, can admit suflicient rarbide to the hopper beneath and the generating tank to carry the apparatus through the night, as it might happen sometime that the carbide in the hopper would become exhausted early in the evening, when it would be awkward or inconvenient to remove the cover and refill the hopper. In such case it would be only necessary to open the cover and raise the valve 23, when sutlicient carbide would be delivered to run, the system for several A cover 1 hours. This feature of the machine is also shown and-described in Patent No. 1,133,611

issued March 30, 1915. y

The top of the carbide hopper is provided with a filter 27 having holes 28 for the admission of gas and apipe 29 leads from the filter to the service pipe 30 on the outside of the generator. This pipe extends vertically to the top of the ground and has a branch 31 leading off to the lighting system and is provided with a valve 32 having an operating rod 33 by means of which the gas may be cut off entirely from the system whenever desired. An upright pipe 34 is provided on the outside of the generator and adjacent thereto and has a connection at its upper end for a pump by means of which the sludge or residuum of the carbide may be pumped out from the generating tank.

This connection consists preferably of a coupling 35 mounted on the end of the pipe 34 and having a plug 35' fitting therein.

We prefer to provide a rod 36 within this pipe having at its lower end an agitating blade 3'? which projects through an opening 38' in the wall of the tank in position to sweep over a portion of the inclined floor 39 of the generating tank and so stir up and agitate the sludge and mix it with the water that it can be readily pumped out of the tank.

l Ve prefer also to provide a wall 40 depending below the lower end of the pipe 34c and co-operating witha casing 41 which encloses the lower portion of the pipe to form a water seal which normally closes the pipe against the entrance of air therethrough into the tank. On the opposite side of the machine is a similar pipe 4-2, having a rod therein provided with an operating handle M at its upper end and an agitator or s raper 45 at its lower end, a casing 4-6 being provided to encircle the lower portion of the pipe and having a wall 47 co-operating therewith to form a second water seal and prevent the entrance of air into the generator. the bottom of the generator and the general provision for preventing the admission of air to the generator we regard as the important part of the present invention, as we are able to exclude air from the generating tank when the cover is removed and fresh carbide is being placed in themachine, and also prevent the entrance of air when the sludge is being pumped out.

We prefer to arrange the trap or seal for the pump pipe about three inches above the bottom of the tank, so that there will be approximately three inches of water left in the tank during the pumping operation. This is for the purpose of submerging any carbide which may be spilled in the tank while the enerator is being recharged and when the operator carelessly admits air to This feature of. the water seals in the chamber. We have foundv that where the tank is drained dry and then fresh carbide falls upon the wet surface and the scraper blade is operated back and forth over the carbide, it might become sufiiciently hot to create a spark and with air in the tank, a resulting explosion. This danger is entirely eliminated by leaving a small quantity of water in the bottom of the tank.

We will now describe the operation of recharging the generator. VVe will assume that all the carbide in the hoppers has been used and that we are about to remove the water from the chamber and clean out the apparatus preparatory to placing a fresh charge of carbide therein. We first remove the cover 3 and take out the auxiliary carbide holder and refill it, then insert the filling tube and recharge the carbide hopper or holder. We then replace the auxiliary carbide holder and to start the feed find it necessary to raise the gas bell some three or four inches. This is necessary, as when the carbide holder is empty the gas bell will drop and rest upon the lever device 11 and because of the double construction of the valve in order to again put the feed and control devices 9 and 11 in operation, it is necessary to lift the gas bell and permit these devices to assume the proper position for depositing carbide in the water and then to allow the bell to drop to actuate the valve to deposit a quantity of carbide in the gen.- erator. i

When the above described steps have been taken, we then remove the bushing 35 and attacha pump by suitable means to the coupling 35 and begin to pump the water and sludge out ofthe chamber i. Before pumping out the water and sludge, we operate the agitating device thoroughly to stir up the sludge which has, accumulated in the bottom of the water. tank. We are particular to operate the agitator 37 before the pump is attached to the pipe 34:, for the reason that there will be no opportunity to operate it when the pump is in use. The agitator on the other side of the tank is operated from time to time, as may be necessary during the process of removing the water and sludge from the chamber. The removal of the water and sludge will cause the gas bell. which has been elevated by the generated gas to drop and connect with the lever device 11 again and deposit a certain quantity of carbide in the water which still remains in the generating chamber 4 and this carbide so deposited will immediately make gas which will rise, following the course indicated by the arrows. and upon entering the gas bell will lift it out of con act with the lever device. This operation will continue during the entire process of removing water from the generating chamber and as fast as water is removed from the generating chamber,

the space occupied thereby is immediately iilled by the pure gas-generated during the water-removing operation.

We have now pumped all the water from the chamber 4 which has been entirely filled with pure gas. and it has been unnecessary to admit air to take the place oi the water pumped out and no vacuum is formed, as the ojenerating gas immediately fills the space in the tank left by the removal of the water. It will. be readily understood that the pumping out of the water and sludge irom the generating chamber acts upon the bell and feeding device in the same way as the drawing oi through the pipe 30, and will cause the feeding of the carbide and the generation of gas during the entire process oi pumping out the water and sludge iroiu the chamber 4-.

A ssuming now that all the water and sludge has been removed irom the chamber 4 the traps 41 and 46 filled with water will prevent the escape of pure gas lrom the generating chamber or any part oii the genorator containing such gas above this chamher. and these traps not only prevent the or pe of gas when the water and sludge has been removed, but also positively prevent air irom entering the generating chamber at such a time.

In the top oi": the gas hell we provide a cap or cover 48 mounted on the upper end oi a small pipe 8 which projects through. the top oi the gas bell and extends down into the liquid seal in the gas bell chamber to a point near the lower end of the bell. The cap prevents any foreign material from dropping into the openupper end oi the pipe butis spaced irom the pipe and from the top oi? the gas bell to allow the escape of pure gas which may enter the open lower end oi' the pipe and pass up through the top oi the bell when it rises in its liquid seal to a prodetermined point. The pper end oi the pipe and the housing will be suiiiciently a hove the top of the gas bell to prevent any water irom entering the pipe and running down into the bell chamber. This pipe used purely for the escape oi surplus gas when the water chamber is being refilled and has no other 'lunction except that under certain conditions it will. act as a relief or escape ior any overplus oi gas which may have accumulated in the generator,

A. water pipe 49 is provided adjacent the pipe 42 and connected therewith by the coupling it) so that water may flow down through the pipe l-i) and from the pipe 4L2 into the base oi the generator. This pipe 4-9 provides a convenient means for delivering water to the generator and controlling such delivery automatically without disturbing any other parts or connections.

To re [ill the generating chamber with water we remove the cover to the can 54 and allow water to flow therein until the float 5i. closes the valve at which time there willbe a proper level of water in the generating chamber. During the refilling of the tank, the gas bell will rise as the water level rises in the water chamber until the open lower end oi the reliet pipe is suiliciently near the suriacc of the as chan'ibcr s-al to allow surplus gas to escape. through it and through the top or the gas bell into the open air. This will continue during the entire period of filling the water chamber. When the chamber iilled the bell will resume its usual position and the reliei pipe inlet will be sealed against the escape oil gas within the bell chamber.

Ydhen the operator removes the auxiliary holder 2 to recharge or refill the auxiliary hopper as well as the n'iain carbide holder. the top 01"? the gas hell will rest upon the standard oi the teed device ll and make a priustically tight joint with the upper end oi the sleeve 20 that is mounted on the top oi the a ;'bide holder. holder will ill with pure and when the operator inserts the filling 1 umel to pour carbide into the main carbide holder, the pure gas will. be driven out and its place taken by the iresh carbide ad the escape oi gas from the holder will tend to drive back any air which night otherwise enter and the contact oi the gas hell with the top oi the telescoping section of the auxiliary carbide holder will prevent any air irom working into the bell when the auxiliary hopper is removed. We are thus able to thoroughly exclude air irom the generator-first. whilethe auxiliary carbide holder and the main holder are being refilled, then during the operation oi? removing the sludge and water from the generating Rank, and during the refilling oi the tank with iresh water. The entrance oi air into the lighting system is thus positively prevented throughout all the stops oi charging the generator with carbide, removing the water and sludge and refilling the generating tank. All danger oi? eXplo sion incidental to the cleaning and recharging of an acetylene generator tank is thereby positively eliminated.

We prefer to provide a check valve 29 in the pipe 29. If the operator in recharging the generator becomes careless or undertakes to perform the operation without closing the valve 32- leading to the burners, or iif he should neglect to put carbide in the holder and start the machine but should immediately begin pumping without making any provision for supplying the place oi. the water pumped out. and assuming that there are some burners open in the system, the generator would begin to take air through these burners and the pipe 29, but the entrance ot air into the generator would be prevented by the check valve which would.

The empty carbide rise and seat itself on the seat provided in the pipe and positively prevent any entrance of air into the generator from the system through the pipe 29.

We claim as our invention:

1. A method of removing sludge from a deflated acetylene gas generator to the exclusion or air, comprising feeding can-bidev to the enerator hoo 361' to the exclusion of air lifting the bell oi? the container and allowing it to fall to admit a small quantity of carbide to generate sullicient gas Within the generator to fill the 5 321GB left by the removal oi the sludge, and removing the sludge from a point below the operating level of liquid within the generator, as described.

2. An acetylene gas generator having means for emptying the water from the same without admission of air to the generatorcomprising a generating tank, a sleeve, a bell over the sleeve, a fluid seal at the bottom of the bell and sleeve, a hopper closing the end oi the sleeve, a port or second hopper having walls to shut out air from the space between the bell and sleeve tops.

means for depositing carbide from the first hopper by raising and lowering the bell to generate gas and a pressure in the tank whereby entrance of air into the tank when the water is removed is prevented, and a discharge pipe leading from near the bot tom of the tank through which the water and sludge may be removed from the'genen ating tank and whereby a water seal is formed between the pipe and tank to prevent air entering the tank from said pipe at the end of the sludge removing operation.

3. An acetylene generator comprising a tank having a water inlet port and a sludge outlet port arranged on the opposite sides of the tank, a casing for each port having a depressed wall providing a chamber a pipe rising from each casing, and a battle depending within each easing into the chamber thereof to plane below the adjacent port and between the latter and the adjacent pipe.

a. An acetylene generator comprising a tank having a water inlet port and a sludge outlet port arranged on the opposite sides of the tank with the outlet port in a higher plane than the inlet port, the bottom of the tank inclining downwardly fromthe inlet port toward and beneath the outlet port, a casing for each port having a depressed wall providing a chamber, a pipe rising from each casing,a shaft journaled in each pipe, a long arm fixed to the lower end of the shaft in the inlet pipe and extending in wardly over the bottom and a comparatively short arm fixed to the shaft in the outlet pipe and extending down and over the lower edge of the bottom of the tank to cooperate with the first arm in agitating the sludge.

An acetylene gas generator comprising a generating tank, a hopper for feeding carbide thereto, a discharge pipe through which the water and sludge may be pumped from the generating tank, a rod extending through the pipe and having a stirrer thereon extending into the generating tank, and a water seal between the pipe and tank to prevent air entering the tank from said pipe at the end of the pumping operation as described.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 4th day of June 1917.

CLAUD J. CLEFTON. GUY J. CLEFTON.

Witnesses S. M. CLEFTON, MAiuon AB RNETHY; 

